While reading my New Zealand Gardener's Yearbook, I found a recipe for 'Elder Flower Champagne'. The recipe was so simple I thought I would give it a try. I have fond memories of Dad making homemade wine when we were children. We all had to come up with a handmade wine label for his brew, even Mum designed one. It was a lot of fun.
If you search on the Internet you will find all sorts of recipes for Elder flower champagne, but I stuck with the one in the book.
It's a delicious summer drink made from the pure white lacy flowers.
4 litres of boiling water
2 1/2 cups sugar
7 heads of elder flowers
2 sliced lemons
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a large bucket (I used a stock pot), stir well and leave to cool. When cold add the remaining ingredients, stir again and leave 24 hours.
Then strain through a fine strainer (I used a pair of stockings), bottle (I used recycled screw top wine bottles) and cap. Do not fill the bottles too full as this drink is very fizzy. (I'm going to store mine in the garage in case they explode) Ready in one to two weeks. I'm planning to keep mine for Christmas day, so I will let you know the outcome then.
The bottled champagne with my hand drawn labels.
